Slovakia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Mikuláš Dzurinda, upon visiting the Vatican on January 12, delievered an invitation from President Ivan Gašparovič for Pope Benedict XVI to pay an official visit to Slovakia, the TASR reported. Dzurinda also gave the Pope two crystal candleholders as a gift from Slovakia.
Next year Slovakia will mark the 1,150th anniversary of St. Cyril's and Methodius's arrival in the territory of present-day Slovakia. According to Dzurinda, this will provide a unique opportunity for a papal visit. While holding the post of prime minister between 1998 and 2006, Dzurinda met Pope Benedict XVI upon his assuming the papacy in April 2005.
The Pope thanked Dzurinda for the official invitation. Next year's schedule of papal
visits is not known but the pope has not yet visited Slovakia. His predecessor, John Paul II visited Slovakia three times, the SITA newswire wrote.
Source: TASR, SITA
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
